2007 Vstrom 650 Pir

 It seems disrespectful to buy a motorcycle on the 20th anniversary of 9-11, but that's the way it worked out.  I didn't want to leave what I thought was a good deal on my first ever "Weestrom," and so a guy named Rich welcomed me to his home to test ride his bike.  His biked checked a lot of boxes:  Good tires, GPS made for moto use, all three bags, recent fluid change, USB outlet, and a shop manual.  I thought I dickered well and ended up paying $4400, especially when you consider the farkles in light of the low miles at 12,385.  

This is me on the left and Rich on the right.  Note how he is the one still holding on to the "Weestrom."

I've owned a lot of motorcycles throughout my life, the first of which was a Suzuki.  I saved up money from mowing grass and working at the local Schwinn shop in my neighborhood on the South side of Chicago to pay for it.  I got about $300 in cash together and talked my Mom and Dad into cosigning a loan for the rest.  if memory serves, my 1980's blue FA50 was around $650 new but with taxes and all the rest, it ended up to be almost $800.  I think my payment each moth was around $73.  Fast-forward 40 years and this is my third Suzuki, having owned a DR650 just before I bought my first BMW in 2005.

Truth be told, this is my first non-B'mer in the last five bikes.  In my research, I looked at the Versys (couldn't get along with that tiny front wheel for off road use), the KLR (just didn't want a thumper because of my age--I already have to go to the bathroom all the time), the Honda NC750X (not enough out there to find a great deal), and a fleeting daydream about one of those awesome looking and sounding Royal Enfields (nope, not even going to go there).  Part of the reason I decided on the Vstrom is simple: it's one of the few bikes that I saw on the Haul Road back in 2007 when I rode to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and back to Knoxville in just 23 days.

Once I got it home, I rode around for 30 minutes or so and it would sometimes die when I'd come to a stop.  Later that same Saturday afternoon, I took it for a longer ride a little farther from home and then she just quit and no amount of shaking up the new gas I put in the tank, cycling the kick-stand switch, or the hex I tried to put on the bike did any good.  I called my wife who came and got me with a smile on her face.  Then she returned with me to the park I had pushed it into (uphill, of course) and helped me get it strapped down to our little trailer.

Pretty spot right?  What you can't see are all the mosquitoes that feasted on me as the sun was setting

while waiting for my wife to come and rescue me.  My wife is really awesome, btw.  She never complained, laughed at me, or did any of the things I likely would have pulled had the tables been turned.  

This was the first time in my life that I have ever broke down while riding a motorcycle.  After reading up  on the notorious fuel pump issues on the Stromtrooper website, I began to realize that getting it started again probably wasn't going to happen.

After looking online for someone to take it to, I finally found a place right near my home.   More on that next time:)